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The US Open offers top-ranked Novak Djokovic a main alternative to achieve floor on absent Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in chasing the all-time males’s Grand Slam singles title report. But a bunch of rising younger stars see an opportunity for a breakthrough when the New York fortnight begins Monday in a spectator-less COVID-19 quarantine bubble on the US National Tennis Center.
“It’s strange to see empty stands. The circumstances are very unusual,” Djokovic mentioned. “But we have to accept that, we have to deal with it and try to embrace it.”
Top seed Djokovic, who has gained 5 of the previous seven Grand Slam crowns, improved to 23-Zero this 12 months on Saturday by defeating Canada’s Milos Raonic within the ATP Western & Southern last, additionally within the New York bubble.
“Going on an unbeaten run so far this year obviously brings even more confidence each match,” Djokovic mentioned. “I’m just trying to enjoy it and embrace the process.”
Despite being bothered by neck stiffness at instances, Djokovic confirmed he stays the person to beat within the Flushing Meadows fortnight as he challenges for tennis historical past.
“It’s hard to talk about my legacy,” Djokovic mentioned. “I am trying to make the most of my career, trying to use this time when I feel I’m physically, mentally, emotionally, game-wise at the peak and playing some of the best tennis I’ve ever played.
“How lengthy that journey goes to final and what sort of legacy I’m going to depart behind? That’s on any individual else to actually decide and consider.”
The 33-year-old Serbian star is set to launch his quest for a fourth US Open title and 18th career Grand Slam trophy on Monday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium against Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 107th-ranked Damir Dzumhur.
Swiss legend Federer, who is injured, owns a record 20 men’s Grand Slam titles with Spaniard Nadal, the 2019 US Open winner who skipped New York to focus on next month’s French Open, next on 19.
Djokovic lost a chance to close ground on the elder legends when Wimbledon was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down tennis from March to August and shuffled the season schedule.
“You can sense that across the website there’s a sure pressure as nicely as a result of everyone seems to be being cautious,” Djokovic said. “But on the identical time, everybody wants to concentrate and observe the protocols and restrictions which might be in place.”
The last time a player other than Djokovic, Nadal and Federer won a Grand Slam men’s singles title was when Swiss Stan Wawrinka won the 2016 US Open.
Standing in Djokovic’s path are Austrian second seed Dominic Thiem, third-seeded 2019 US Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev of Russia, Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and German fifth seed Alexander Zverev.
Toss in Italian sixth seed Matteo Berrettini, Canada’s improved Milos Raonic and Spanish eighth seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who battled Djokovic into a third-set tiebreaker Friday at a US Open tuneup, and the field of 128 offers plenty of threats hungry for a first Grand Slam title.
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Djokovic’s draw would see him face Tsitsipas or Zverev in a semi-final and a doable last towards Thiem, who pushed Djokovic to 5 units earlier than falling on this 12 months’s Australian Open last.
Britain’s Andy Murray, who gained his first of three Grand Slam titles on the 2012 US Open, lurks in Thiem’s quarter of the draw.
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